Baling-press



(No Model.)

G. ERTEL.

. BALING PRESS.

No. 386,063. Patented July 10, 1888.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

ATTORNEYS.

lhsiren Smarts Parent (Enrica.

GEORGE ERTEL, OF QUINCY, ILLINOIS.

BALING- PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 386,063, dated July 10,1888.

Serial No. "256,408. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGEERTEL, of Quincy, in the county of Adams andState of Illinois, have invented anew and Improved Baling-Iress, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to balingpresses of that class in which hay, straw,or other material is pressed into bales in successive increments orcharges by a plunger operated by a sweep mechanism, allowing full orpartial retraction of the plunger by the expansion against it ofsuccessively-pressed charges in the bale-chamber when or after the outerend of the plunger-pitman passes the axis of the sweep; and theinvention has for its object to assure proper retraction of the plungerwhile pressing light, medium-weight, or heavy bales by or in the samemachine, and in a simple and effective manner.

The invention consists in certain novel featuresofconstruetion andcombinations ofparts of the baling-press, all as hereinafter describedand claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the front parts of abaling-prcss embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a detail vertical sectional elevation of the press, taken on the line m 00, Fig. 4. Fig. 3 isa plan view partly broken away and in section and with'the plunger removed from the balingbox, and Fig. 4C is a vertical transverse sectiontaken on the line y y in Fig. 1.

The plunger A of the baling-press is operated by a pitman, B, pivoted atone end to it, and which may be connected at its other end with anyapproved mechanism operated by a sweep or otherwise, and which willallow free backward movement or rebound of the plunger after the outerend of its pitmau passes the center or an imaginary line drawnlengthwise through the center of the plunger. The sweep mechanism 0shown is fully described in Letters Patent No. 336,305, issued to meFebruary 16, 1886, and need not be herein further explained.

I employ a self-acting mechanism for assuring rebound of the plungerwhen the expansion of the last lightly-pressed charge of material isinsufficient of itself to carry the plungcr back far enough to clear thebaling-box feedopening to allow the next charge or increment of materialto be fed into the baling-box in front of the plunger. These plunger-retracting devices are very simple and effective, and may be brieflydescribed as follows: In the timbers of the press-frame A, and below thefloor (I of the balinghox D, is fitted loosely a longitmlinally-rangingrod or bar, E, which at one end has a head, 6, between which and thepress-timber a is placed (preferably upon the rod itself) a spiralspring, F, which tends normally to force the rod back toward the sweepmechanism, and the rod E is provided with a piu,e, which limits itsbackward movement by the spring. The plunger A is pro vided with a slot,9, in its floor, to whieha key or stop pin or device, G, is looselyfitted in a position to cause it to strike the rod E or its head andmove it forward and compress the spring F as the plunger moves forwardfor llS effective stroke in the baling'box.

It is manifest that a compression ofthe spring F by the plunger-key, asabove described, will store up the power of the normally-expandedspring, so that as the back end of the plungerpitman passes the centerofits sweep or movement the power of the spring will at once be exertedto assist a slow or feeble expansion of the last-pressed charge ofmaterial to carry the plunger back clear of the feed-opening H of thebaliug-box D of the press. \Vhen the key or stop G is removed from theplunger, which may be done in a moment, the rod E will not be forcedforward by and with the plunger to compress the spring F, as abovedescribed, and this auxiliary pllinger-retracting device will then beinoperative. The floor of the press-case is provided with a longitudinalslot, I, in and along which the key G moves, as will readily beunderstood.

I propose using the above-described auxiliary pllinger-retracting devicepreferably in connection with anti-friction rollers carried by or placedunder the plunger to relieve the friction of its movement on and alongthe bal ing-box floor, and the arrangement of anti friction rollers Iprefer to employ in this manner is that shown, described, and claimed byme in a prior patent, No. 362,884, and dated May 10, 1887, and whichcomprises rollers J, preferably two in number and placed loosely belowthe plunger, and preferably in grooves K of the plunger, and heldagainst displacement backward from beneath the plunger by pins Lcrossing said grooves, and behind which pins the plunger is providedwith slots or holes M, through which the rollers J may be almostinstantly removed when the pins are taken out, all as will be understoodmost clearly from Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings.

7 It is obvious that a baling-press constructed with a spring-actuatedauxiliary plunger-retracting device which may be rendered inoperative,and anti-friction rollers fitted beneath the plunger to ease itsbackward travel, and which rollers may also be readily removed, hasgreat advantages,in that provision is made for pressing heavy,medium-weight, and light bales with ease and dispatch. For instance, thekey G will be removed and the rollers J will be taken out when heavybales are to bepressed, as the expansive force of the pressed charges ofmaterial will be sufficient and at timesmore than is necessary to assurefull backward movementor retraction of the plunger after each effectivestroke of it, the plunger then lying directly on the fioor of thebaliugbox. When medium weight bales are to be pressed the rollers willthen be applied beneath the plunger to assure the full backward movementof it by the moderate expansion of the successively-pressed charges ofmaterial; and when very light bales are to be pressed the key G will beapplied to the plunger to bring the force of the spring F into play toeffeet full backward movement or retraction of the plunger, which wouldnot be caused by the expansion of the pressed material alone,as willreadily be understood from the aforesaid description.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a baling-press, the combination, with the press-case and a plungerfitted therein, of a spring supported near the plunger, and a removablekey or stud fitted to the plunger and causing tension or compression ofsaid spring as the plunger moves forward on its effective stroke, andagainst which key or stud the expansive force of the spring is ex ertedto assist the retraction of the plunger,

and allowing the auxiliary plunger-retracting spring to be renderedinoperative by removing the plunger key or stud, substantially as hereinset forth.

2. A baling-press constructed with a case, aplungcr fitted therein, aspring supported near the plunger, a removable key or stud fitted to theplunger and causing a tension or compression of the spring as theplunger moves forward on its effective stroke, and against which key orstud the expansive force of the spring is exerted to assist theretraction of the plunger, and one or more anti'frictiou rollerssupporting the plunger, substantially as shown and described,wherebywhen the plunger, key, or stud is removed and the auxiliaryplunger-retracting spring is rendered inoperative the plunger will moveback on the antifriction rollers while medium-weight bales are beingpressed, and when the key or stud is applied to the plunger the latterwill be assisted in its backward movement on the rollers by theauxiliarymetracting spring device while light bales are being pressed,as herein set forth.

3. A baling-press constructed with a case, a plunger fitted therein, aspring supported near the plunger, a removable key or stud fitted to theplunger and causing a tension or compression of the spring as theplunger moves forward on its effective stroke, and against which key orstud the expansive force of the spring is exerted to assist theretraction of the plunger, and one ormore removable anti-frictionrollers adapted tosupport the plunger to assist its free backwardmovement, substantially as shown and described, whereby when theplunger, key, or stud and the anti-friction roller or rollers areremoved the plunger will rest on the press-case to be retracted by theexpansive force of the pressed charges of 5

